Paul_M._Ellison

Paul M. Ellison

Paul M. Ellison

British musicologist and choir director

Paul M. Ellison (born 27 March 1956 in New Brighton, UK) is a British choral conductor, organist, and Beethoven scholar currently working in the United States. He is a lecturer in musicology at San Francisco State University[1] and San Jose State University[2] His area of specialty is tonal affect and meaning in Classical and Romantic period music.

Early life and education

Ellison attended Godalming Grammar School, going on to study musicology and organ at the Royal Academy of Music, where was awarded the Peter Latham Scholarship for musicology and the Alan Kirby Prize for choir training. He received his BMus and DipRAM in 1978 and spent a postgraduate year at Queens’ College, Cambridge, from 1978–79, where he gained a PGCE. He held positions as assistant organist at St. Pancras Church and St. Mary at Hill during this time. He later studied at San José State University (MA, 2003) and Cardiff University, where he gained his PhD in 2010 with a dissertation entitled “The Key to Beethoven: Connecting Tonality and Meaning in his Music” subsequently published by Pendragon Press in 2014.[3]

Professional career

Ellison has maintained a dual career in academia and church music. Since 2002, he has been a lecturer in musicology at San Francisco State University, also holding a similar position at San José State University since 2016. At SJSU, he has worked on The Beethoven Journal (editor, 2016–19, currently associate editor) and is founding co-editor of The Beethoven Newsletter, both American Beethoven Society publications. He is a regular speaker at the Three Choirs Festival. From 1981 to 1987, he was director of music at St Mary the Boltons church prior to emigrating to the USA. Since 1990, he has been director of music at Church of the Advent of Christ the King, San Francisco's historic Anglo-Catholic parish.[4] There he founded the professional ensemble Schola Adventus, with whom he toured southern England in 2005 and released the first ever recording of Palestrina’s Missa Confitebor tibi Domine as part of the CD Palestrina for Eight Voices.

He is a contributor to Nineteenth Century Music Review,[5] The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Historical Performance in Music, Oxford Music Online, Notes, and The Beethoven Journal and The Beethoven Newsletter.

Honours

Ellison has been a member of the Association of Anglican Musicians since 1994. From 2010–15, he served as editor of The Journal, and in 2016 was elected vice president, going on to serve as 36th president from 2017-19.[6] He was appointed president of the American Beethoven Society in July 2023.[7]

Bibliography

Books

  • Dear Max/Lieber Malcolm, editor/annotator (Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press, 2010).[8]
  • The Key to Beethoven: Connecting Tonality and Meaning in his Music[3]

Articles

  • “Affective Organization in Beethoven’s Gellert Lieder, Opus 48, The Beethoven Journal, Vol. 25, No. 1 (Summer 2010): 19–31.
  • “The Largo/Allegro from Beethoven’s “Tempest” Sonata, Op. 31, No. 2: Affective Tonality as a Key to Meaning, The Beethoven Journal, Vol. 27, No. 1 (Summer 2012): 13–25.[9]
  • "Specter of Nazi Past Haunts ‘Ode to Joy’ at Mauthausen," The Beethoven Journal, Vol. 15, No.1 (Summer 2000): 25–28.  [10]
  • "Key Character". The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Historical Performance in Music. Cambridge University Press.[11]
  • "Gustav Nottebohm". The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Historical Performance in Music. Cambridge University Press[12]
  • “Beethoven and Schenker: Unraveling Those Graphs, The Beethoven Journal, Vol 16, No. 2 (Winter 2001): 69–73.[13]
  • “Beethoven’s Elegischer Gesang: Another ‘Quiet Herald’ of the Late Style,” The Beethoven Newsletter (Summer 2020): 10–15.[14]
  • “Roger Woodward,” in Grove Music Online, ed. Deane Root, accessed January 1, 2024,[15]

Selected recordings

  • Palestrina for eight voices.

References

  1. [1]
    "Paul Ellison faculty profile". San Francisco State University School of Music. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  2. [2]
    "Paul Ellison faculty profile". San Jose University School of Music. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  3. [3]
    Ellison, Paul M. (2014). The Key to Beethoven: Connecting Tonality and Meaning in his Music. Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press. ISBN 9781576472026.
  4. [4]
    "Clergy, Staff, and Vestry | Church of the Advent of Christ the King". Church of the Advent. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
  5. [5]
    Ellison, Paul M (July 2015). "Symphonic Organ Works Simon Johnson, org. CDA 68046 (C Franck)". Nineteenth-Century Music Review. 12 (1): 171–173. doi:10.1017/S1479409815000087. S2CID 194396827. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  6. [6]
    "Past Presidents of the Association of Anglican Musicians". Association of Anglican Musicians. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  7. [7]
    "About – American Beethoven Society". Retrieved 2024-02-02.
  8. [8]
    Rudolf, William (2010). Ellison, Paul M. (ed.). Dear Max/Lieber Malcolm. The Rudolf/Frager Correspondence. Pendragon Press. ISBN 9781576472842.
  9. [9]
    Ellison, Paul M. (July 2012). "The Largo/Allegro from Beethoven's" Tempest" Sonata, Opus 31, no. 2: Affective Tonality as a Key to Meaning". The Beethoven Journal. 27 (1): 13–25.
  10. [10]
    Ellison, Paul M (July 2000). "Specter of Nazi Past Haunts 'Ode to Joy' at Mauthausen". The Beethoven Journal. 15: 25–28.
  11. [11]
    Ellison, Paul M. (2018). "Key Character". In Lawson, Colin; Stowell, Robin (eds.). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Historical Performance in Music. Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781316257678. ISBN 9781316257678.
  12. [12]
    Ellison, Paul M. (2018). "Gustav Nottebohm". In Lawson, Colin; Stowell, Robin (eds.). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Historical Performance in Music. Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781316257678. ISBN 9781316257678.
  13. [13]
    Ellison, Paul M (July 2001). "Beethoven and Schenker: Unraveling Those Graphs". The Beethoven Journal. 16: 69–73.
  14. [14]
    Ellison, Paul (2020). "Beethoven's Elegischer Gesang: Another 'Quiet Herald' of the Late Style". The Beethoven Newsletter: 10–15.
  15. [15]
    "Woodward, Roger". Grove Music Online. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.30558. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
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